FIELD                 AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

 

Revision of Forestry qualification

 

National Certificate in Forestry (Generic Skills - Workplace Safety and Operations) (Level 2) [Ref: 1409]

 

The Forest Industries Training and Education Council (FITEC) has revised the qualification above.

 

Date new version published                                                             November 2009

 

The next qualification review is planned to take place during 2013.

 

Reason for the revision

 

This qualification was revised as a result of feedback from workplace assessors.  FITEC field staff and workplace assessors were finding it difficult to create training plans for trainees that allowed them to achieve the required 22 credits from Elective B.  The target audience for this qualification would not necessarily have been exposed to enough different operations to achieve 22 credits.  For this reason Elective B was reduced to 18 credits.

 

FITEC also received many requests for driver training on forestry roads.  Many driving accidents occur in forestry as the roads are rough and workers are driving early in the morning or after a long work day.  In particular, training on hazards associated with driving on forestry roads, driving to minimise the hazards, and setting up temporary traffic control on forestry roads had been requested.  FITEC worked with Tranzqual to develop one standard on temporary traffic control and to establish that other Tranzqual standards would meet the needs of the forestry industry.  To cater for this request standards 25788, 3462 and 3465 were added to Elective A of this qualification.  The credit total required for Elective A was increased from 14 to 18 in response to the reduction of credits in Elective B and the additional standards that were added to Elective A.

 

Main changes resulting from the revision

 

Additional standards were added to Elective A and Elective B, and the minimum credits required for the Electives were amended.

 

Changes to structure and content

·         Standards 3462, 3465, 17677, and 25788 were added to Elective A.

·         Standard 1142 was added to Elective B.

·         Details of standard 1126 were updated to reflect changes made at review.

·         The minimum credits required for Elective A increased from 14 to 18.

·         The minimum credits required for Elective B decreased from 22 to 18.

 

Transition

 

People currently working towards version 1 of this qualification may either complete the requirements for that version or transfer their results to this version of the qualification.  The last date for entry to training programmes or courses for version 1 is December 2009.  The last date for assessments to take place for the replaced version is December 2012.

 

Appeals

 

It is not intended that any existing candidate be disadvantaged by these arrangements.  However, any candidate who considers they have been disadvantaged may appeal to FITEC - see below.

 

Standard Setting Body

 

Forest Industries Training and Education Council (FITEC)

PO Box 137067

Parnell

Auckland 1151

 

Telephone       09 356 7250

Email                info@fitec.org.nz